If you were n’t enjoying 2017 already , things are about to get a lot worse . The Cassini spacecraft will orb Saturn justfive more timesbefore the missionary station stop in September .
The first of these net five passes begins this Sunday , August 13 . Cassini will vanish just 1,700 kilometers ( 1,050 mile ) from the cloud top of Saturn , beat closer to the standard pressure than ever before .
During this fly past , it ’s expected to pass through enough of the standard atmosphere that it ’ll want to use its little thruster to prevent atmospheric drag . This also bechance during flybys of Saturn ’s moon Titan , thelast of whichwas in April .
This is the first time Cassini , which entered eye socket around Saturn in 2004 , will sweep the atmosphere of Saturn . nonplus so close , it will perform the first ever verbatim sampling of Saturn ’s atmosphere , using its Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer ( INMS ) . This will measure the density of molecular H , helium , and various ions . Yes , that ’s awe-inspiring .
On this sphere , numeral 288 , Cassini will also employ its Composite Infrared Spectrometer ( CIRS ) to observe the boundary of Saturn ’s atmosphere and form out the different temperatures at unlike heights . It will also use its camera to examine and espy secret “ streak ” in Saturn ’s C ring .
" As it make these five dip into Saturn , followed by its terminal dip , Cassini will become the first Saturn atmospheric probe , " say Linda Spilker , Cassini project scientist at NASA ’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory ( JPL ) , in astatement . " It ’s long been a end in wandering geographic expedition to send a dedicated probe into the atmosphere of Saturn , and we ’re laying the fundament for future exploration with this first maraud . "
The squad will use this flyby to plan the final four reach . If the atm is more dull than expected , and the thrusters have to puzzle out hard , then the top of each subsequent reach will be increase by about 200 kilometers ( 120 nautical mile ) . This is do it as a “ come out - up maneuver ” .
If it ’s less impenetrable than expected , then the squad will do an opposite manoeuvre – a pop - down . This will see Cassini ’s field lower by 200 kilometers ( 120 mile ) , lease it get even more data on the atm .
Ultimately , the mission will come to an death on September 15 . Using Titan ’s gravity to change its trajectory , Cassini ’s path will be dented to plunge more directly into the atmosphere .
It will continue send data until the struggle of signal its antenna towards Earth against the pressure of the atmosphere becomes too great . Then it will violate apart , and the 20 - class mission that set up in 1997 will be over .
I ’m not crying . You ’re crying .
